Wish it wasn't so far.

[SaxonPig]

It's 100 miles round trip for me to make go to the range for some shooting. When my wife started talking about moving into a new house I expressed a desire for a home on a couple acres in the country so I could build my own range in back. She wanted to live in the middle of an urban area. So when we bought a new house last year we compromised and bought a house in the middle of an urban area. Love those compromises.

Seriously, it's so far to go it takes the fun out of it. Takes an hour to get there and an hour to get back. No, nothing closer except an indoor range at a gun shop and that's handguns only and it costs $15 an hour.

[Mr. Hill]

Yup, sort of like how Colorado has cut off huge parts of the mountains to any type of shooting. Colorado has changed, and not for the better.

[jmr40]

It is almost 50 round trip, but it is a good place to shoot. I live about 1/2 way between Atlanta and Chattanooga We have several guys that I've gotten to know that drive from northern Atlanta suburbs to shoot at the range I belong to, they are probably driving closer to 120-130 miles each day. When they come they bring lunch and make a day of it.

I've thought about buying some land just for shooting, but with my luck they'd build a school or something next door within a couple of years.

[rock185]

Wow Saxon, That trek would certainly mute my enthusiasm for going to the range. I guess I need to count my blessings. Our local outdoor covered range, with shooting out to 300 yards, is 8 miles from the house. Certainly not as desireable as having a range in my backyard, but still only a leisurely 20 minute drive. There are normally closer places to shoot, but those will likely not be available for shooting till this fall due to Summer fire restrictions out West here. Glad you were able to work out a compromise with your wife. None of us are immune from those "compromises"

[sgms]

typical compromise with the mrs's, SHE: I want to (fill in the blank), He: Yes dear.
And yes I am kidding (mostly).

[jonnyc]

Well, looks like there's only one solution....................

[rickyrick]

I moved due to th D-word; I had 120 acres at my disposal. I would go shooting or some form of hunting many days a week. Now I'm married to a wonderful woman that loves guns and encourages me to get more guns, accessories and ammunition. She is my best friend and perfect in every way. I'm an urban dweller now, going to shoot is an event that has to be planned because now I have to go to the forest or go to a range. My shooting is sparse now. Trying to save up some money for a small recreational spot to shoot on.
Honestly, my relationship with her is so great, it wouldn't bother me if I never was able to shoot again.

[FrankenMauser]

Nearly all of my family is in that situation, and I was too, until 2013.

Public ranges within the urban area were not an option. The good one shut down (still a 45 minute drive). The big one was overpriced, full of idiots, and just plain nasty. The rest were indoor with too many rules and restrictions.

It was an hour, minimum, to get to a place where one could legally inject some lead into a ditch bank. To actually get more than 50 yards, stay away from people, and not have ATVs come blindly driving through the shooting lane(s), it was at least an hour and forty minutes.

Sucked. A lot.
Now, I have access to a pretty decent range that's about 20 minutes away (though the county is trying to seize it to develop the area), but shooting on public land is still at least a 40 minute drive. ...Which I find completely ridiculous. I can drive all the way across this town, in the worst possible rush-hour traffic, in about 8 minutes. (County ordinances banning shooting, and patches of private land are the issue(s).)

[C7AR15]

I do the drive. Must shoot

Try to make your drive as comfortable as possible.

I leave the house at 8 am , so traffic is really light.
Bring your own tunes. I burn CDs with songs and music, for me !
I listen to a dozen songs and I'm wala I'm at the range. Plus AC on all the way.

Its not too painful, gives me some quiet time.

I now enjoy the drive back too.

Ps Ive memorized most of the streets and distance to them and every landmark on the way.

[Spats McGee]

Originally Posted by SaxonPig

. . . .No, nothing closer except an indoor range at a gun shop and that's handguns only and it costs $15 an hour.

SaxonPig, I'm not sure which "indoor range at a gun shop" you're referring to, as there are two locally. However, the range at Arkansas Armory actually allows some rifle fire. From their website:

• Rifle Rated Safety Stalls and Backstop (Up To 30-06)
• Rifle Fire on Thursday & Friday Only (exception: suppressed and pistol caliber rifles may be fired on non-rifle days)

[Lohman446]

This creates its own transportation issues no doubt. I used to play paintball a lot and it was always a drive to get there. I cut back on the amount of gear I took with me and started riding my motorcycle. Made it a lot more fun and when I got sick of playing the politics of the game I would take a leisurely ride home.

[FITASC]

Seriously, it's so far to go it takes the fun out of it. Takes an hour to get there and an hour to get back. No, nothing closer except an indoor range at a gun shop and that's handguns only and it costs $15 an hour.

I'm about 60 each way, so my rifle shooting has been non-0existant for a decade or so - besides, where I am it is in the 90s (and has been since May) with 90-100% humidity - just no fun sitting in a pool of sweat punching holes in paper.

My indoor pistol range is $16/hour, and since I suck and need to practice more, the annual membership of $179 for unlimited use is a deal I just did. Besides, it's air-conditioned!

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by SaxonPig

Seriously, it's so far to go it takes the fun out of it. Takes an hour to get there and an hour to get back. No, nothing closer except an indoor range at a gun shop and that's handguns only and it costs $15 an hour.

Everything is relative. There are only three public outdoor ranges (that I know of, and I've looked) in my entire state. Two are at least an hour away (each way), and the one that's only half an hour away is only open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, and is so busy that if you don't get there before you wake up you'll be waiting a couple or three hours to shoot for one hour.

So I mostly shoot at indoor ranges. There are three that are about 45 minutes from me. $15/hour is CHEAP. The one where I usually shoot charges $35/hour. I buy an annual membership, so the more I shoot the less expensive it gets but it's not unusual to see casual visitors pay $75 to $100 when they check out (between range time, targets, ammo, and possibly a gun rental).

[NoSecondBest]

For all the BS restrictive gun laws in NY, it's still one of the best places to live for shooting. Just about every town in the state has some type of local gun range/sportsmans club. There are many, many ranges around me where I can shoot if I want to join. Many of the clubs have memberships for those who don't live near-by and the prices to join are very reasonable. On top of that, I have 165 acres about a hundred miles from where I live where I hunt and fish and have my own private range there. Yeah, NY kind of sucks with their gun laws, but there's no shortage of places to shoot...and at affordable prices.

[Don P]

It's 100 miles round trip for me to make go to the range for some shooting. When my wife started talking about moving into a new house I expressed a desire for a home on a couple acres in the country so I could build my own range in back. She wanted to live in the middle of an urban area. So when we bought a new house last year we compromised and bought a house in the middle of an urban area. Love those compromises.

Seriously, it's so far to go it takes the fun out of it.

I don't know, sounds like a nice full Saturday or Sunday out of the house. Make a day of it, take a buddy along. The wife and I will make a 157 mile round trip to shoot a local competition match. Breakfast on the go and a nice sit down lunch afterwards. Life gave you lemons, so make some lemonade.

[Don Fischer]

Lot's of wife's out there from standard models to magnum! :-)

[g.willikers]

Come to think, it's always been at least an hour to get to someplace enjoyable to shoot for me.
Sometimes quite a bit longer to go to a match.
Always took the most scenic route and enjoyed the ride.
If time was short, I'd rather just step into the garage with my airguns.

[FITASC]

I don't know, sounds like a nice full Saturday or Sunday out of the house. Make a day of it,

Now, I don't have an issue doing that type of driving for a sporting clays match. Furthest one I have done was 165 miles each way. Spent almost as much time driving as I did for the tournaments. But for just casual plinking at paper with rifle or pistol, I won't go that far

[Targa]

It takes me an hour as well. I make a day of it, a couple hours shooting then I work the river a bit on my way back home for trout.

[tony pasley]

Every once in a while I will join friends at a public range an 30 minute round trip but most of the time it is walk out the front door and put up new targets.

[Onward Allusion]

My round trip is 54 miles door to door. 40 minutes each way... I too, would like to get a house in an unincorporated area with a few acres. Heck, I'd be happy to shoot air rifles and do archery on the property.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I hear you. I drive two hours one way just to go to a good range, even though there is a "guntry club" range within walking distance of my house. It is basically an all day event now since if I am going to drive four hours I want to get in at least four hours of quality range time. On the plus side, it is completely worth it to not be governed by the lowest common denominator of shooter behavior in the megaoplis area.

[cslinger]

Supplement with a nice air rifle. You can have a lot of fun even with indoor setups.

I am very lucky to have a nice outdoor range 15 min away and an indoor range about 6 min away. I still do a fair bit of air gunning at home.

[Wyosmith]

This makes me thank God for the place I have.
I can and I do fire out the front door. I have 40 acres here, and I own the largest hill in the Wind River Valley for 60 miles in one direction and 20 miles in the other direction, so I have my own "impact area".

I face some challenges getting in and out when the weather is bad, and it's a long drive to get to any big city. The closest city having a population over 12,000 is Casper and it's a 220 mile round trip. I have to go 34 miles to get to a good grocery store, and it can get cold here in winter, but in my opinion, the good outweighs the bad. I love my place.

[kraigwy]

My hobby is shooting and that was the main goal when I chose my retirement home. I wanted a place where I can load ammo, step out of the shop and shoot it. I didn't want to load a few rounds, drive to a range, check them, drive home, make adjustments, and back to the range.

So I have 400 yards in my back yard. I even cut a shooting port in the wall of the shop so I don't have to go outside.

About two miles from the house is an abandoned gravel pit on BLM land If I want to reach out there. I can safely shoot 2000 yards or more.

Our club has a range in town (10 miles away). 300 yard rifle range, and a indoor range. Members have access to the outdoor range any time its day light. 24/7 for the indoor range.

I'm too lazy to go to town so I only used the club range for matches or teaching classes.